Thursday, May 03, 2007

All Things Ordinary...more or less.














My time at home has dwindled to a weekend. I am meant to fly to Paris on Monday, but have no flight info as of yet...this may seem strange, but it really has become a way of life. I have a vague idea of where and when I am required, and sometimes 24 hours in advance I get notice that a flight has been booked for me. This is the life of high powered business men and diplomats, and also it would seem, touring lighting guys. Sometimes I think that my presence is incidental, and am flattered that I am thought of as necessary, but really, don't feel bad. I'll take as much time at home as I can get. A couple days ago I drove North to Boonville (where they make lots of good beer and host an annual beer fest that I hear gets a bit wild) to go camping. I have been thinking a lot lately about buying something big, like land, or maybe a boat. I think land. I'm getting to the age where I have nothing to show for all the work I've done, and I feel that owning things would give me a sense of security. In fact, it is mostly just a tax nightmare and a totally hazerdous path to take to actually owning a bit of land. All of this rambling aside, if I were to buy land it would be in Mendocino county. A few hours North of the city the congestion and busyness of, well business gives way to dairy farms, a string of small towns (small like one grocery store, one bar and one gas station...most likely one horse) and some of the most amazing landscape that I have ever seen. There is something about the size of the redwood trees that make you feel small. You could just hack them down and turn them into pencils or Ikea furniture or something, I suppose. This mill had the biggest pile of sawdust that I had ever seen in my life. That is all.
















So I went camping. It wasn't until the sun went down and it got really quiet in the tent that I realized that I was pretty alone. Not metaphorically, but actually alone in some strange little spot in Northern California. It was pretty nice. Then it started to rain, and it didn't stop. Damn good thing that I got a new tent that was not unlike a duck's ass, and I found a nice, fairly dry spot under some massive trees.















I managed to make a fire, cook some food and amuse myself by walking around in the rain.
















There was no one else around, and the scenery was pretty great.















I drove back the following day with the sun shining...figures.






























Anyone want to go in on a couple acres and maybe a goat?